Plymouth County Commission on the Status of Women and Girls

This month, we’re spotlighting our Plymouth County Regional Commission (PCCSW) which was founded in 2018 with a mission to provide a permanent, effective voice for women and girls in Plymouth County. Since their initial launch, the commission has been active in the community, listening to their constituents and gathering testimony through public hearings, listening sessions, surveys, and panel discussions – all of which helps guide their legislative advocacy, both locally and on the state level.

Recent Highlights: In 2022, PCCSW produced a regional resource guide based on the needs they were hearing, matching women with organizations in Plymouth County who could best serve them. In 2023, PCCSW hosted a community conversation at the Center for Active Living in Plymouth where teen girls joined senior women for a discussion on common issues that affect all women in Plymouth County. In 2024, PCCSW hosted two well-attended events – a panel discussion held at the Ventress Memorial Library in Marshfield in on the topic of domestic violence, and a listening session held at Massasoit Community College where they gathered testimony which will inform their legislative priorities in 2025. They also took a group of high school girls to the Massachusetts State House where they attended the MCSW Commonwealth Heroines event – and toured the capitol building to learn more about state government.

For more information about the commission: Plymouth County CSW

Current PCCSW Commissioners: Kasey Bellegarde-Armstrong (Plymouth), Michelle Davidson (Hanover), Tamara Dzialo (Bridgewater), Caroline Gillis (Abington), Daphne Remy Gomes (Middleborough), Maude Gorman (Hingham), Danielle Kempe (Marshfield), Jacqueline Jones (Brockton), Lisa Westgate (Marshfield)

*We’d like to take this opportunity to recognize two founding PCCSW Commissioners, Elisabeth Arruda (Marion) and Carolyn Riley (Plymouth), who completed two full terms effective December 31st, both serving as PCCSW Chairs. Thank you for your extraordinary service!

Above: Plymouth County Commissioners host an array of listening sessions and community conversations with women in the county who speak on issues that matter to them.

Above: PCCSW took a group of high school girls to the Massachusetts State House in June 2024, where they attended the MCSW Commonwealth Heroines event and toured the state capitol to learn more about state government.